tersely

American  

[turs-lee] / ˈtɜrs li /

adverb

1. in an effectively concise manner; succinctly.

   This phenomenally prolific creator of tersely plotted psychological thrillers deserves to be on your bookshelves.

   The ordinance fulfills the tersely and clearly worded language of the city's comprehensive plan.

2. in an abruptly concise manner; brusquely.

   “Maybe that's my business,” replied the girl tersely as she turned away.

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Other Word Forms

• untersely adverb

Etymology

Origin of tersely

terse ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

When you make a point without using very many words, you do it tersely. You could offer a long explanation for why you won't take your brother trick-or-treating — or answer tersely by saying "No." Tersely is from the adjective terse, which means "concise" but was originally defined as "clean-cut," from a root meaning "neat or clean." When you speak tersely, you do keep things tidy, using no extra words. In fact, something stated tersely can be so short and pithy that it can come across as brusque, or a little bit rude. Imagine asking a barista for more foam on your cappuccino and hearing them tersely reply, "Nope."

Example Sentences

The tersely written account said that “many” officials thought a rate cut wouldn’t be warranted in December but that “several” thought a reduction “could well be appropriate.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025

The manager insults Kier in kind, who tersely thanks him for the "feedback," referring to him as "Seth" before shutting down.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2025

He speaks tersely, because every word is a hard-won battle.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 20, 2023

Asked last week why the official investigation hasn’t yielded any results, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded tersely that it’s a “difficult probe.”

From Seattle Times • Sep. 22, 2023

“I’m sorry, Harry, but I had to check,” said Lupin tersely.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling